Analyzing written language

Text and discourse analysis

• „The value of having some explicit knowledge of the grammar of written language is that you can use this knowledge, not only to analyse the texts but as a critical resource for asking questions about them”- (Halliday 1966)

• Methods of text and discourse analysis help explain language in its context of use

Discourse

• Totality of interaction between humans within a given sphere or context (e.g. political discourse: speeches, editorials in newspapers, books about politics, comments by politicians in public arenas)

Text

• The linguistic outcome of a specific interaction, such as a particular speech, a book, etc.

Discourse analysis

• Analyzes not just the text, but also relevant background from the wider discourse, such as what other texts have had to say, what the current political situation is like, what the relationships among participants, etc.

Discourse analysis

• Methods focus on text, although they are in no way confined to it, and include ways of analyzing how text is organized beyond the level of the sentence as well as at the level of the sentence and below

Critical discourse analysis

• The analysis of texts in their social context

Research questions in CDA

• Why was this text constructed at all? To whom is it addressed, and why? Does the writer of speaker have hidden purposes, and what are they? What hidden assumptions and biases underlie the text?

Genre analysis

• Examines texts which are considered members of a genre to describe their typical configuration in terms of their features, such as layout and organization of concepts, and their use of vocabulary and grammar (their lexicogrammar)

• Texts take on certain characteristics which allow us to identify whom they were written for ad for what purposes

• Another clue is the subject matter of the text

Exercise: identify the following texts in terms of where you think it would be found, what its purpose is, who is writing for whom, what might have come immediately

before it and what might come immediately after

• Text 1: Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease one 9x13 inch pan.

• Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until well blended. Beat the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl until smooth. Fold in the flour mixture, then stir in the pumpkin.

Text 2

• Mary has also been involved this year as a volunteer ESL teacher in our Community English Language program. This program provides free English language instruction for members of the community, and classes ate taught by our university students. Mary has brought to the program an incredible amount of enthusiasm and insight, and her students enjoyed having her as a teacher, and also felt that they had learned quite a bit of English.

• Mary’s enthusiasm, willingness to work hard, and ability to communicate with people are all qualities which have been of great nenefit to our campus.

Text 3

• Last summer, I worked as a receptionist at the Northern Hospital Health Clinic. My position involved me in greeting and helping patients, scheduling appointments, and handling insurance bulling under the guidance of the office manager.

• I hope you find that my background and skills would be beneficial to your practice.

Text 4

• Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived on the edge of the forest.

Text 5

• Discussion

• Ellis and Mellsop (1985) concluded that de Clerambault’s syndrome is an aetiologically heterogeneous disorder. Theories of aeiology have encompassed alcholism, abortion, post.amphetamine depression, epilepsy, head trauma and neurological disorders. None of these is relevant in this case.

Genre

• A staged, goal-oriented, purposeful activity in which speakers engage as members of a culture

Genre

• Not fixed; follow a series of ‘moves’

• Academic articles:

• Introduction – methods – results – discussion - conclusion

Genre

• Letter of recommendation:

• Recommendation, willingness to provide further information if needed

• Job application:

• Declaration of intention, willingness to provide more information and attend an interview, along with contact details

• Recipies: list of ingredients, step-by-step procedure

Discourse community

• A group of people with a set of shared goals and purposes for communicating, which leads to a type of communication which tends to be replicated in similar ways

• Study of contexts in which genres are embedded

Textual patterns

• Narrative structure:

• Abstract

• Orientation (time, persons, place, situation)

• Complication (a crisis point, turning point

• Evaluation

• Result

• coda

Textual patterns

• Problem/solution pattern:

• Situation

• Problem

• Response

• Evaluation/result